The most meaningful relationship you can have with someone isn't necessarily familial, nor romantic, but platonic. Being able to look at someone and call them 'your person' with no confusing feelings or possible heartbreak attached to it. Of course, this doesn't ward off any potential downfall of a friendship, but when you meet that one person in your life who you know, above all, will have your back and take your side no matter the instance, that's true love.
Because not all love has to be romantic or lustful, loving someone is the same, yet very different, as loving something. Except, it's deeper, richer, and more heavily reliant on your own emotional connection when it's another being. Owning something gives you that sense of possession and loving that sole thing for the attributes it has physically or what it can do. Loving someone beyond romance means having a sense of home outside four physical walls and space. It's having somewhere to run to when no one else or nowhere else wants to let you in.
You will find that person once in a blue moon. Being able to know, deep down, that the person you are closest two can be considered a soulmate in the platonic terms of the word is a feeling beyond words. No one and nothing can pull your two hearts apart when you meet this person. Nothing is severing these ties and undoing this complex knot that has wound two people together. People underestimate the power that platonic soulmates have and how much potential it carries in the long run.
Hang onto these people, these relationships, because they are few and far between.
-----
"Moony!" Lyra beamed as the trio rounded the final corner to the restaurant. She had dropped Sirius's hand before they turned and was free to run towards the skinny boy, throwing her arms around the tall Gryffindor.
"Godric!" Remus exclaimed with a laugh, curling his arms around Lyra just as she did him, lifting her off the ground in a tight embrace, "Anyone ever tell you you've got a bit of strength to you, Ly?"
"The bruises on my arm should be telling enough," Sirius piped up, a grin across his face, "Lookin' good, Moony."
"Not too shabby yourself, Black," Remus chuckled as he released Lyra, embracing Sirius as well with a few pats on the back, "Do I want to know why Prongs tagged along?"
Lyra and Sirius shared a look after the latter pulled away from Remus. A silent conversation struck up between the two as they debated bringing Remus in on their little secret. Neither was ashamed of the relationship, more so worried about who it would get out to and what repercussions there could be. Both trusted Remus beyond comprehension, but many factors outside of trust played into their decision. Lyra floated her own verdict through her boyfriend's brain with a final nod.
'I think we should tell him.'
Sirius silently agreed before turning towards Remus, "Let's go sit, shall we?"
"So you're just not going to answer my question?"
"Oh no," Lyra chuckled, looping her arm through the Gryffindors, "We will, just...perhaps not in such a public area."
Remus glanced down at Lyra with a quizzical expression on his attractive features. One thing Lyra never found herself feeling was anything really romantic towards the lycanthrope, always seeing him as one of her best friends. Even outside of Lily, Remus was the only person who knew Lyra more than she knew herself. The minor quirks that would tick him off she was reaching a limit or peak in her emotional turmoil. He knew when and when not to ask if she was doing okay and what to offer his assistance with and when to do so.
Remus was the perfect balance for Lyra in a way James wasn't. While James and Lyra were two sides of the same coin, Remus was the wallet that Lyra sat in. He always knew what to do and when, never, ever, stepping outside the boundaries Lyra had explicitly set. Lyra was beyond confident that as the entire group of friends they were in grew older and possibly grew apart, she and Remus would never stray too far. He was the anchor that tethered her down while temptations swam around her and pulled her too far. When Remus and Lyra first met, it was friendship at first sight.
Blonde curls bounced as she wandered down the halls of Hogwarts, admiring the sprawling architecture and paintings that lined the walls. Lyra had wandered off from dinner early, electing not to engage too much with her brother and allow him to establish himself separate from her. The whole school already knew the two were twins; the Sorting Hat made that no secret as he yelled it out for the entire Great Hall. But Lyra wanted to make her own identity and create a friend group separate from James.
The stars that shone outside lit up the grass she stepped onto as Lyra wandered out towards the centre courtyard of the castle. Despite being raised in a Pureblood family that kept magic around at all costs, Hogwarts was something of a daydream for the youngest twin. The paintings would greet her as she walked by, and ghosts would make her giggle. It was only the first day, yet Lyra already knew this place would become a home-away-from-home for her. Especially since the Head Master seemed as magical as they came.
Her bliss was cut short as the sounds of small weeps echoed from a bit away from where the blonde stood. Lyra knitted her eyebrows together as she turned her attention towards the way the noise came from. She tugged her wand from the depths of her robs, wandering down the paths out into the more vast area of the field that led down to the Gamekeeper's hut. A figure of a young boy with shaking shoulders came into view on the side of the hill, catching Lyra's attention as she investigated. It didn't take a Ravenclaw to figure out where the sound was coming from, and Lyra was nothing if not a curious person. So she walked towards him.
"Are you alright?" She asked, voice soft as she tucked her wand away again.
Lifting his head, the boy turned to face Lyra. He had freckles splashed along his pale features, along with faint lines across his lips. He appeared scarred, physically, and possibly mentally, as the fat tears sat upon the waterline of his hazel eyes. Lyra's already hardened heart dropped its walls as he stared up at her with furrowed eyebrows, bottom lip quivering. She simply offered him a kind smile and outstretched her hand.
"I'm Lyra," she introduced, "Lyra Potter. What's your name?"
"Remus," he answered quietly, taking her hand and giving it a meek shake, "Remus Lupin."
"Cool name," she grinned widely, "Mind if I sit with you, Remus Lupin?"
When the sandy-haired boy gave her a nod, Lyra took her seat next to him. They sat in silence for a few moments, the night around them lighting up the area they sat. He had nervous energy, similar to what Lyra felt most of the time. But she was going to be a steady person for the boy she had just met, letting him know that whatever he felt was going to be alright. Starting at a school was terrifying, let alone being away from home for a long time, so Lyra understood why he might be crying. But then again, she could be completely wrong.
"What's got you down, Lupin?"
As the group filed into the booth at the restaurant, Lyra found herself seated next to her boyfriend with the two other boys across from her. The looming question about why James had joined the others in their endeavour sat heavily over them. Lyra knew it would be like ripping off a bandaid, bringing Remus into the loop. She wasn't sure how he would react or if she would need to fend him off from throttling Sirius. Remembering how he responded to Sirius rejecting Lyra in the common room, Lyra prayed that it wouldn't come to the latter option.
"So," Remus broached, readjusting in his seat, "Why's James here? Not that I mind! I just thought you had gone with Lily to your parent's cottage."
"I had," James nodded, "But Lily needed to get home, and there was a little itching feeling in my mind that I may have had to as well...I wasn't wrong."
"Oh no," Remus began, a worried tone in his voice as he looked over at Sirius and Lyra, "What happened? Are you two okay?"
"They are more than okay," James grumbled, earning a harsh kick to the shin from his twin sister, "Ow! What!? I'm not wrong!"
"You could at least give us a chance to explain," Lyra seethed, fiddling with the ends of her shirt as she returned her gaze to the confused Remus, "Sirius and I...well, we...um, we're together. Officially. Yes, officially together."
Remus stared at the two across from him with eyebrows knotted together. His scarred face was unreadable as he took in the way the two sat. Lyra wouldn't deny that their mannerisms were far from friendly, seeing as they were essentially in one another's laps. She couldn't help herself; he was a drug, and Lyra couldn't help but take it in anytime she could. After one touch, she needed another; she needed more. Sirius had an intoxicating spell placed upon her, and Lyra had zero intentions of breaking it. It brought her comfort and excitement simultaneously, knowing that there was someone who wanted her.
"Lily owes me five galleons."
Lyra felt her jaw drop before she could even stop it, eyebrows mirroring Remus's as confusion, shock, and disbelief settled into her mind. Remus had been betting with Lily on the two, something she didn't expect from the boy. Lyra wasn't sure what the bet was or who else was in on it, but hearing the words fall from Remus's mouth felt like a light slap to the face. She didn't seem to be alone, though, as her lover had an identical expression mirrored onto his face. It appeared that Sirius was just as surprised at the idea of their precious Moony betting with the Golden Child that was Lily Evans about their friend's romantic lives.
"You guys had a bet?" Lyra choked out, staring at the Lupin with disbelief apparent in her eyes, "What was this bet?"
"That you two were together," he shrugged, "We both agreed, but I was right in saying you'd keep it hidden for a minimum of four months. She thought it would be six."
"Oh right!" James exclaimed, earning shocked scoffs from the couple as James clued in, "I completely forgot you two made that!"
"Oh, my–" Sirius muttered before cutting himself off, running a lithe hand through his hair, "If you knew, why'd you get so upset?"
James shook his head, "No, I didn't think you were. I thought you two had just had a mature conversation and gotten over your differences; I didn't think you'd get together again."
Lyra sat back in her seat, chest dropping in defeat. She was convinced she and Sirius had done an excellent job at keeping themselves under the radar as much as possible. They had been attentive with their PDA and kept quiet those nights they'd wind up in the common room, tangled in one another's arms as their chests heaved. During dinners, they'd go as far as not sitting anywhere near one another to keep their relationship quiet. Everything they did was in the protection of others, yet it seemed they had failed at even keeping their romance private enough to do so.
That's when it hit her.
Lyra leaned her head back and let out a short laugh, "May 1st."
"There you go," Remus grinned, resting his elbow on the table and leaning forward, "I knew you'd get there eventually."
"Wha–What happened May 1st?" Sirius questioned.
Lyra sighed and lifted her head once again, shaking it as she did so. The very night in question was the one night that Lyra had prayed both Lily and Remus had forgotten about. However, it appeared they hadn't, and now Lyra was facing the consequences. She had been even more adamant on keeping their meetings strictly to late at night after May 1st, even since the moment she knew would come back to bite her in the ass.
Launching into the story, Lyra explained just what had happened.
-----
Lyra let out a hushed giggle at the feeling of Sirius's lips on her neck. His hands were tangled in the long tresses of her golden hair, massaging the base of her head. Their naked bodies shook gently at the laughs that echoed from their lips, reverberating around the room in a joyous chorus. The sun had just begun to set in the window next to Sirius's bed, casting a warm glow across the entire dormitory. The heat radiated through and created a delightful heat that added to the natural radiation from their bodies.
The blonde had never felt such resounding happiness, and she had never expected it to be within Sirius Blacks arms once again. Not since that faithful night when he publicly humiliated her, but she continued to get over that hurdle that still lingered in their relationship. After all, they had been together for just over a month, bordering two, and there had yet to be a hiccup. Lyra trusted Sirius and trusted that the things he told her were truthful and held merit. He was aware of the wariness from his partner, especially with their slightly troubled history and the fact that this was his final shot.
"I've gotta get going," Lyra sighed, lifting her lover's face to meet hers, "I've got a project to do."
"For Frog Choir?" Sirius teased, earning a quick smack from Lyra, "Oh, come on!"
"You're never letting that go, are you, Black?" Lyra huffed as she rolled from his arms and onto her flat feet, "I panicked."
"There were so many better options for it!" Sirius snickered as he sat up in his bed, earning a glare from over her shoulder, "C'mon, it's funny."
"So is a single life," she mocked, sliding on her clothes before leaning over and pressing a passionate kiss to the boy's lips, "Y'know that?"
"You would never," Sirius feigned offence, wrapping his arms around the Potter's body and tugging her back down into his lap, "You love me too much."
"Bugger off!" Lyra squealed, a bright grin breaking onto her face as she tried to squirm from his grasp, "Go shower, Snuffles. You smell like a dog."
"And whose fault is that?"
"If you can't handle it, just tell me," Lyra quipped, standing up once more as she smirked, "Go, James and the others will be back soon."
Lyra landed one more chaste kiss onto Sirius's lips before she slid on her cardigan, running a hand through her slightly tousled hair. Pulling open the dorm door, Lyra just about felt her heart drop from her chest. Familiar heads of red and sandy brown hair bobbed around the corner of the stairs that lead to the dormitories. The blonde panicked and swiftly shut the door behind her, trying to stay calm and composed as she straightened her shoulders. She could just say she was on her way from the younger years dormitories down the hall, helping them study. That would be believable.
"Hey guys," Lyra beamed, an overly bright smile painted on her face, "What're you two up to?"
Remus and Lily lifted their gaze from one another to face the blonde that stood in front of them. Both Gryffindors shifted their eyes from her frame to the door behind her, eyebrows knitted together with questions written across their faces. Lyra prayed that the two most intelligent friends she had managed to forget their wits today and didn't put the obvious together. She trusted them both, but the idea of them being brought into the convoluted mess that Lyra and Sirius were a part of was terrifying.
"Hey, Ly," Lily began, eyes raking up and down the blonde's body, "Why's your shirt inside out?"
-----
Lyra concluded her recounting of that faithful day and punctuated it by dropping her forehead down onto the table. She had completely forgotten about that day and had prayed the others did too. She was sadly mistaken, as the melodic sound of Remus Lupin sounded around her, followed by that of her brother and the small snorts of her lover. She was so positive and so sure that she and Sirius had done good at hiding their love, but she had been the largest perp for letting others know.
"It's alright, love," Sirius chuckled as he ran a hand across her back, "We all make mistakes."
Lyra sat up straight once more and glared at the boy, raising her finger in warning. Sirius shook his head and leaned over, pressing a feather-light kiss to her cheek. She let a coy smile break onto her face at the ministration before returning to the laughing idiots across from her. And just like that, Lyra didn't feel as scared of the world around them. She had managed to fumble something even as small as a secret, and yet the boys didn't judge nor taunt her for it. Sirius was anything but mad, and she was happy.
"Alright, alright, it's not that funny."